Happy 2016 Patient Readers… and a look back at 2015

With a posse of illustrators at the Midsouth SCBWI Picture Book Dummy Retreat at Pickwick Landing State Park

and here:

Meeting Dan Santat and Michelle Knudson at the National SCBWI conference in LA

and especially here

My launch for THE LITTLE KIDS' TABLE !! On September 11th, the day after my 43rd birthday. This is probably my favorite picture from all of 2015. All the ladies in this picture are accomplished artists as well as amazing friends.

Dulce Desserts provided this amazing cake!

Reading my book at Parnassus during the launch. I was so happy I didn't have to use a microphone.

And this is the my other favorite picture from 2015. After the party was over the very last picture was taken with me, Jim Dear, Fry and Sprout

There were also some pretty awesome vacations in the mix:

Then two weeks after that we boarded the Disney Wonder for some much needed relaxation from Vancouver to San Diego.

as well as some very awesome book parties for many of my talented friends:

Launching POPPY'S BEST PAPER by Susan Eaddy

Launching DUNCAN THE STORY DRAGON by Amanda Driscoll. Alsopictured is Jessica Young who launched SPY GUY and FINLEY FLOWERS

So while a tiny little part of me missed writing in my blog the truth is the time has come for me to realize that the time I spend blogging is time I could be spending doing a lot of other things. Which leads me to my personal goal for 2016: CRAFT

Illustrating and writing require a constant, lifelong commitment to get better. Over the course of my blog I've posted my weekly sketches. I've posted about critiques and workshops and conferences. These are all important to do and to attend but now I plan to spend the better part of 2016 focusing all my creative energy on my craft. Writing and rewriting, drawing, and redrawing. The time that I could be spending putting together a blog post is now going to be spent doing the work that improves my craft. And when I'm not doing THAT I'll be continuing to keep my resolutions from 2015. Or hanging out with Jim Dear, The Fry, and Sprout who are growing up at a much more rapid rate than they have a right to.

Not that I won't ever post as Fabulous Illustrator again but Facebook and Twitter give me the opportunity to natter about ordinary life. I do have some other posts planned but for 2016 I'll save my blog for really special occasions…. like this: